To Save a City (Divergent/Eric) 2 of 3 COH Series

Chapter 23 (Eric's POV)

Before Hosanna left to meet with Lydia, I asked her what I should get her friend for her birthday.  She said that wasn't necessary but I insisted. Since I offered, she left me with a list of groceries to purchase for dinner tonight.  That's fine with me since it's something I can help with. Knowing Lydia—even though she said she didn't have much to talk about—she'll probably gossip with her until six o'clock.
She told me what we were making and I said that I've never had it. She explained that Mia probably hadn't either but it was one of George's recipes and that Mia likes fried food and pork chops. I thought that was an unusual pairing but I guess we'll find out.
I arrive at the grocery store and I look to my list. She wants boneless pork chops, any kind of green vegetable to steam that looks good, some kind of alcohol, and my choice on desserts. She said that Mia will eat anything sweet.
I grab the meat and some broccoli. I decide to get a sweet red wine for dinner since Hosanna said she's making a sauce. As I'm walking out of that section, I grab a six pack of my favorite dry beer. Ryan is such a heavy drinker that I doubt one bottle of wine would be enough but I think he prefers beer, like me. The desserts don't look that great here so I figure that I'll go to the small bakery one level up in the Pit.
I go to check out and see the only aisle open has Rosie Evans smiling at me. She has a decent looking face and mahogany hair, but she has always been the kind of girl I wouldn't be interested in.  I remember seeing her in a hallway once during my initiation with one guy.  The next morning in the cafeteria, she was hanging on a different guy.  I sigh and set everything before her.
"Hello, Eric," she says to me in a sickeningly sweet voice.
I nod but hand her my card trying to move this along. "Having a party?" she asks noticing the alcohol.
"No," I respond quickly, in an irritated tone.
"What's the matter, Eric? You sound a little tense.  That girl of yours not satisfying your needs? You know, I'd still be happy to help with that. I could be discreet..." she suggests.
A wave of nausea passes over me at the thought of her disgusting offer.
"I already told you before, I'm not interested," I say snatching my point card back and grabbing the bags.
"But..." Rosie says as I walk away briskly, ignoring whatever she's saying.
I exit the store and climb the stairs one level to a bakery that I've seen here before.  I notice that it's still open and there is a decent selection of desserts.  I look around for something we all might like.  I know that Ryan likes cheesecake, Hosanna likes blueberries, and I don't really like chocolate very much.  If Mia will eat anything sweet, I'm sure she'd like everything in this entire shop.  I see some sort of cold layered dessert with blueberries and it has a layer of cheesecake in it.  This would probably be perfect.  I purchase it and look to my watch to see that it's almost six.  Hosanna will be home soon.  I grab the boxed dessert in one hand and carry my bags in the other. 
I cross the Pit and press the button to the elevator.  I wouldn't mind taking the stairs but I don't want to end up dropping this box.  It's unusual that I'm waiting so long for it to arrive.  The doors finally open and I select the top floor.  When the elevator begins to open on the leaders' level, I instantly notice the redhead that was annoying me at the grocery store leaning against my apartment door.  Her green eyes snap to me as the force of the doors opening rattles on either side of the exit, catching her attention. 
"What do you want?" I question irritatedly stepping out of the elevator. 
"I thought I've made it quite clear before.  But if you forgot, I want you," Rosie says boldly, straightening up.
"And I've made it clear to you several times that I'm not interested.  Perhaps you're hard of hearing because you just keep coming back," I bite back sharply walking towards my door at the end of the hall. 
"Perhaps I've been saving myself for you.  I can't help it.  I want you and I won't take no for an answer," she replies with a pout.
"Funny story.  That's not what Nathan told me.  He said you talked about me while having sex with him.  He said that you claim to have had sex with me," I respond not even mentioning what I've personally seen.  I'm just curious on how she's going to spin this information I've found out about her spreading rumors regarding me.
Her cheeks flush, a dead giveaway that she's embarrassed.  "That's... not true," she denies stumbling over her words.  "And I'm not leaving here until you let me into your apartment," she says more confidently, folding her arms and leaning back against my door. 
"Fine," I reply setting down the bags as I approach my doorway digging in my pocket for my keys.  I see her smile broadly and step aside, further away from the deadbolt to my door as I select the proper key.  I pick up the bags and swiftly unlock Hosanna's door.  I step inside to see her brows furrowed in confusion. 
"You can stay there if you want because that's never going to happen," I say quickly setting everything down against the wall inside the apartment, keeping a close eye on her. 
I lean up against the doorframe and block her from entering.  "And if you're still here when our guests arrive, I will have security forcibly remove you and put you in lockup overnight.  If you bother me again, perhaps you'll spend a week there."
I slam Hosanna's door in her face and lock it.  I can't help the smirk that appears at the dumbfounded look that crossed her face as the door closed.  I sigh tossing my keys on the countertop.  I walk over to the refrigerator and place the boxed dessert on an empty shelf and go back for the bags.  After I set them on the counter, I rub my temples.  Why can't she take a hint?  Maybe this is how Hosanna felt when Nathan wouldn't leave her alone.  I place the food and beer in the fridge.  As I put the bags away in the pantry, I hear rattling at the door.  I look over my shoulder to see the knob turn and I'm on edge wondering whether Rosie is stupid enough to attempt to pick the lock.  The door opens and Hosanna steps in.  I cross to the door in a matter of seconds and hold her tightly. 
"Did you miss me?" she laughs.
"More than you know," I say onto her skin as I kiss her.
"Was there anyone in the hallway?" I ask as I reach for the deadbolt turning it.
Hosanna furrows her brows.  "There was a woman waiting at the elevator when Lydia and I came up.  She was very pretty.  She looked at me oddly though... before she left," she says.
"So, she did leave?" I confirm.
"Yes," she replies.  "Do you know her?" she asks, nervousness in her voice. 
"Regrettably, I do.  She was here to bother me.  I ran into her at the store and she appeared at my door when I returned," I explain.
"Why was she at your door?" Hosanna says breathlessly.  I see worry in her eyes. 
"Do you remember how Nathan mentioned three different girls that have been spreading around lies about me?" I ask.
She nods.  "She was one of them," I tell her.
"Oh," Hosanna says staring off into the distance. 
"Hosanna," I say, trying to get her to look at me but she continues to stare.  "Darling," I whisper. 
She slowly turns to look me in the eyes.  I can see doubt there.  "There is no one I want but you," I say very seriously to her.  "I love you, more than anything.  There has never been anyone else and there never will be.  I only want you."
I can see in her eyes that she trusts me.  "I know," she whispers as she reaches for me.  Her hands slide along my cheeks as she kisses me. She slowly pulls back to look me in the eyes.  "I feel the same," she says softly and I believe her, too.
We separate and she asks me, "Did you find everything okay?"
"Yeah but I went to a bakery for the dessert.  I hope you like it," I say.  "It has blueberries."
She smiles widely at me, those cute dimples of hers are pronounced.  I grab her and kiss her deeply. 
She eventually pulls away and laughs.  "We should start cooking or we'll have guests and no food," she giggles. 
I kiss her once more and follow her into the kitchen. She grabs several containers of food from her pantry and sets them on the countertop. She ties her apron around her waist. I watch as she grabs three bowls, a cookie sheet with a wire rack, and some type of pot that I'm not familiar with. "What's that?" I ask.
"It's called a wok," she says pouring oil into it and turning it on. "Eric, can you open all the windows and my balcony doors?" she asks.
"Are you hot?" I question.
"No, this will make the apartment smell bad," she says.
"Oh," I respond. I turn around and open up the windows and slider doors to the balcony. I return to see that she has two more pots on the stove already cooking and something in each bowl.
"Is there anything I can help with?" I ask.
"I already started the rice," she says biting her lip. "Do you want to cut up the vegetable you bought?"
"I can do that," I say.  I open the cupboard and grab a cutting board.
"Can you bring two?" she asks when she sees what I'm reaching for.
"Sure," I reply. I'm glad I can be useful. She looks like she has everything else under control.
I set a cutting board down in front of her work area and place the other on the opposite counter. I open the refrigerator and grab the broccoli out.
"Can you hand me the pork while you're there?" she asks.
I grab the package of meat out too and set it on the counter. "Thanks," she says.
I see her area set up with a knife and a metal mallet at the cutting board. She's mixing a couple eggs into one of the bowls with a small amount of oil. She has bread crumbs in one bowl and I think flour in the other.
Hosanna steps over to me and smiles. She kisses my lips gently and opens the package. She trims a little of the fat off and scores each piece with a knife.
I shake my head to get out of my daze of staring at her and walk to the sink to wash off the broccoli. I place the bunch on the cutting board and trim it into bite sized pieces. I hear a pounding noise and turn around to see her hitting the meat with the mallet.
I laugh in surprise. "Baby, what are you doing?"
"Flattening and tenderizing the meat," she responds.
I step closer and watch her for a minute as she pounds one side, flips the portion over, and then does the same on the other side.
"Where do you want the broccoli?" I ask.
"In the steamer," she says pointing to one of the pots.
I step over and notice that one is full of rice so it must be the other one. I grab the cutting board and dump everything in, replacing the lid.
"What else can I do?" I offer.
"We'll eat here at the island. Could you set the table?" she asks.
I nod walking over to her open shelving. "Any dishes in particular that you want to use?" I inquire.
"The blue plates and matching bowls," she says.
I grab the stacks and set them out. I take a seat watching her season each piece of meat with salt and pepper. She dredges them in flour, dips them into the egg mixture, and coats them in the breadcrumbs. She places one piece at a time in the oil, turning it after a minute. I notice the utensil she uses to turn it is like those wooden sticks she broke apart and ate with when her brother brought us food.
She looks up to me smiling. "George?" I ask, motioning to the utensils. My unspoken question being, 'Was he the friend that taught her to use those?' She nods in reply.
As I watch her continue to cook each piece, I wonder if I'll ever meet these friends of hers outside the fence, if I'll ever see Amar again or even Jude.
Hosanna finishes the meat and leaves them to cool on the wire rack. She quickly whisks a few sauces together in a bowl. Then she takes the broccoli off of the stove and dumps it into a colander, running cold water over it. She told me before that's called shocking it so it won't continue to cook. Returning to the stove, she peeks into the last pot.
"The rice still needs about ten more minutes. I'm setting the timer. Can you turn it off and just leave it there when it's done? I'm going to change my clothes," she says.
"That's fine," I say. I get up and step onto her balcony for a minute. I have a seat at the table and lean back and relax. Before I know it the timer beeps.
I get up and walk to the stove to turn off the element and the timer. I pick up a bit of the mess and set it in the sink.  I wash some of the dishes and put a few containers away in the pantry. 
There's a knock at the door and I look to my watch. It's already seven. I open the door to see Mia and Ryan. I smile glad it's our friends and not an unpleasant, unexpected guest.
"It smells wonderful," Mia says hugging me. I look to Ryan in question and he just shrugs. I pat her back.
"Happy birthday," I tell her.
"Thanks," she smiles.
I step aside and Ryan enters hugging me exactly like his girlfriend—teasingly. I laugh and hug him back.
"Where's Hosanna?" Mia asks not even noticing that we're messing with her.
"Dolling herself up in her room or the bathroom," I say motioning down the hallway.
She turns and walks back there. I shrug.
"Do you want a beer or a glass of wine?" I ask Ryan walking toward the fridge.
"Beer, definitely," he requests.
I open the fridge door and grab two beers and a bottle opener. I step out to the balcony where he's already seated and hand him a beer.
"Ooh, the good stuff," he comments as he reaches for it.
"This one's my favorite," I tell him.
"Mine, too," he laughs. "So, what's new?"
"Let's see. Well, Hosanna trained with Lydia today and completed her vault training," I tell him.
"How'd her fight go?" he asks.
"Longer than yours and they each landed a few punches. I had to call it or we would have missed lunch," I say.
He nods. "You mentioned before that you never heard of the memory serum," I mention. He nods again. "Hosanna told me that's what's in those drums in the vault."
"Wait, what?" he questions.
I nod in response. "So if there's mass chaos, we're supposed to take away everyone's memories, not give them something to calm them down?" he confirms.
"Yeah, messed up isn't it? I can't believe that's what our founding fathers did. You'd think by the instructions that they'd put something like peace serum in there but no," I say.
"I guess that really will be a last resort," he agrees quietly taking a sip of the beer.
After a minute of silence I ask, "Remember how Nate told us something about Rosie saying I slept with her?"
"Yeah," he says making a face.
"I went to the grocery store today and her line was the only checkout. She hit on me repeatedly. Then I left to do more shopping and come home to find her standing at my door, refusing to leave without me letting her in," I tell him.
"What'd you do?" he asks curiously.
"I walked in Hosanna's door and slammed it in her face," I reply grinning.
He laughs, almost spitting his beer out. I chuckle with him.
When we calm down, I ask, "Has she ever bothered you like that?"
"Yeah, sadly I've known her longer. She was in my initiation class. She always hit on everyone. I was never interested, like you. I have found her at my door a few times though. It's usually after I've run into her in the compound like you did today. Whenever I see her, I turn around to avoid the whole incident," he explains.
"I told her if she didn't leave before 'our guests' arrive, that I was going to put her in lockup. I said if she bothers me again, she'll be there for a week," I tell him.
"Good call. That should keep her away," he agrees clinking his bottle with mine.
We sit on the balcony talking for a few more minutes until Hosanna and Mia step out around the corner.  "I thought I heard you two out here," Hosanna says. 
I look up to see her wearing a dress I've never seen before.  She looks absolutely breathtaking.  She styled her hair and put some makeup on, too.
"Do you want to eat out here?" she asks.
"Sure," Mia says.
"Go ahead and have a seat," Hosanna instructs her friend. 
"I can help you," Mia insists.
"But it's your birthday," Hosanna replies.
"I don't mind," she says following her inside.
The two of them come back a moment later with all of our plates, the bottle of wine, and glasses.  The meal actually looks delicious.  She already sliced the meat into bite-sized strips and drizzled the sauce on top.  Hosanna sits down next to me. 
"This looks incredible.  Thank you," Mia compliments.
"No problem," Hosanna grins.  "We cooked together but Eric paid for the meal.  He also got the dessert."
She thanks me and I smile at her.  We all start on the meal and it's delectable.  Everyone seems to be enjoying it, especially Mia. 
Ryan announces, "You know I'm throwing you a party on Friday, right?"
"Really?  That sounds so fun," she tells him excitedly.  "Can we limit who we invite, though?  I don't want anyone creepy that's not a friend showing up."
"That would be fine," Ryan agrees easily.
"So I do have another gift for you," Hosanna says after a minute.
"You didn't have to do that," Mia says, though sounding grateful.
"I thought we could go shopping together sometime and I'll get you any outfit you want. Well, and we'll spend the day together, too," she offers.
"Thanks.  That sounds wonderful," she says hugging her friend. 
"Why don't you go on Saturday, during the day?" I say thinking that would work.  "And we can go out on a date afterwards."
"Okay," Hosanna agrees smiling widely.  "Will that work for you?"
"That'd be perfect," Mia responds.
"So, I've got a gift for you too," Ryan tells her sliding a large, flat velvet box and an envelope in front of Mia. 
Mia gapes at the gift and looks up to Ryan.  "I hope you like it," he says scratching his neck.  She hesitates.  "Aren't you going to open it?"
She reaches out for the envelope first.  Ripping into it, she says enthusiastically, "You got me a day at a spa?"
When she looks up, I can see the massive smile covering her face.  I've never seen her that excited. 
"Well, if you actually look closer, I got it for you and several friends," Ryan clarifies.
She squeals, clapping her hands, jumping on his lap, and hugging him.  "I guess you like it," he laughs.
When she sits back down, he nudges the box closer to her.  She slowly opens the box and covers her mouth.  "Do you want to wear it?" he asks.
"Yes," she says breathlessly.
Ryan reaches for the box and pulls out a thin necklace encrusted in mostly black jewels.  He clasps it around her neck.  Mia grasps it gently between her fingers and looks at it. 
"Thank you," she says quietly. 
Hosanna reaches out her hand for mine and kisses my cheek.  I look to her and see how happy she is for them. 
"We're going to go grab dessert," she announces and pulls me along with her.
We walk back into the kitchen and Hosanna pulls the dessert box out of the refrigerator. I watch her lift the lid.
"You chose well," she says looking up to me.
I smile and grab four plates and forks. I walk up behind her, setting them on the counter beside the box. Placing my hands on her hips, I kiss her neck. I inhale her beautiful scent noticing that she smells different but lovely.
"Mmmm, you smell good," I say.
"Thanks," she laughs. "Mia let me wear some of her perfume."
"I like it," I say nuzzling my face in her hair.
I watch as she slices the layered dessert into squares and plates each piece.
We both carry two plates back out to the patio. "I hope you have room for dessert," Hosanna shouts as we approach the doorway. I laugh. She probably didn't want to walk in on them making out. We step outside to see Mia with her purse on the table touching up her lipstick. I guess her instincts are fairly accurate. 
We set the plates on the table and enjoy the dessert I selected.  Everyone seems to like it, especially the birthday girl.  I'm actually pleased with it considering that I'm not particularly fond of sweets. 
When we finish, Hosanna and Mia talk in the kitchen while Ryan and I sit on the living room sofa drinking the remainder of my beers.  Ryan's on his way to being pretty drunk since he's just about finishing his third and I'm only starting on my second.  When the girls disappear down the hallway for a few minutes, he admits to me that he thinks of me as his best friend.  He confides in me that he sometimes feels like most of his other friends just use him for his position and he occasionally lets them out of loneliness. 
I tell him that I think of him as a good friend, too.  As I think about it, it's not even a lie.  We've been talking and joking almost daily since I was made a leader.  Even before then when I was training with him, we spent most of our time together.  I'd say he probably is my best friend, I just never really thought of him as such until now.  I do think of Four as a close second, even though it's only been recently.  I'm glad to have so many people in my life lately that I can depend on.  It makes me feel more complete now that I'm not lonely anymore either...

*****What'd you think of this chapter? Please comment and vote!*****

Words of Wisdom:
I like the connection between Eric and Ryan here, along with the issues with Rosie.  He's able to see how much they have in common in terms of morality as well as identifying a serious problem. Eric does want to completely erase any doubts Hosanna may have. He doesn't want her to worry about him because he thinks there's no need.

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV    

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Proverbs 17:17 ESV